Chapter 13 – Chili Oil Dumplings

The Empress of the Niohuru clan had resumed her work once again.

This was her first time taking charge of these affairs since her formal investiture, and the Empress held a breath of determination in her heart. She was intent on performing perfectly to prove herself to His Majesty.

After placing the wolf-hair brush back onto the brush rack, the Empress leaned back against her chair. She felt slightly hungry but had little appetite. Closing her eyes, she hoped to take a short rest. Two palace maids stepped forward at just the right time—one lit sandalwood incense, while the other walked behind the Empress and began gently massaging her shoulders, relaxing her muscles.

Even so, the crease between the Empress’s brows did not ease.

Suddenly, a rich aroma wafted into the hall from outside. The mild and serene scent of sandalwood was instantly overwhelmed—it stood no chance. This new aroma was so strong and assertive, stimulating the Empress’s taste buds and teasing her appetite. Even someone as resolute as the Niohuru Empress couldn’t help but swallow involuntarily.

The Empress tried to ignore it.

But her stomach wouldn’t cooperate—it twisted and growled in protest, urging her to discover the source of the tantalizing scent.

What was even more alarming was that the aroma grew stronger and more intense, signaling that its source was approaching. Eyes still closed, the Empress heard a soft creak as the door opened, followed by a gust of cold wind—and with it, the aroma exploded in intensity. If the earlier scent had been a faint tease, now it was a full-blown olfactory assault.

The Empress couldn’t bear it any longer.

She opened her eyes and raised her gaze, filled with curiosity—and locked eyes with Wan Changzai.

One could say Wan Changzai wasn’t timid, for she rarely said much in front of the Empress and didn’t utter a single flattery. But neither was she bold—after all, the Empress had just said she had no appetite, yet Wan Changzai dared to bring food in personally, looking as if victory was already in her grasp.

Wan Anran was brimming with confidence.

Accompanied by the palace maid holding a tray, she walked all the way up to the Empress and greeted her politely.
“Your servant greets Your Majesty.”

The Empress straightened up.

She looked curiously at the pastel porcelain bowl. “What is this inside?”

Wan Anran chuckled.

She wasn’t about to keep it a mystery. With both hands, she lifted the pastel bowl and presented it to the Empress. The moment she lifted the lid, a wave of steam carrying an even more intense fragrance surged forth. As the mist cleared, a red-tinged broth was revealed, surprising the Empress.

She examined it carefully for a moment.

At last, she recognized several familiar ingredients and covered her mouth in a soft gasp.
“…Aren’t these ‘descendant dumplings’?”

Indeed, the bowl held a serving of “descendant dumplings.”

But the issue was that these dumplings looked completely different from the usual snowy white variety. Their surfaces were coated in a reddish broth and sprinkled with white sesame seeds.

“Your Majesty, please try it!” Wan Anran was extremely confident in this bowl of chili oil dumplings. Thinking of the flavor she had just tasted in the imperial kitchen, she licked her lips again.

Admittedly, she was a little embarrassed.

Because she hadn’t been full earlier, once the chili oil dumplings were ready, Wan Anran had eaten two big bowls herself.

In two words: Delicious!

She declared proudly, “These are chili oil dumplings—super tasty!”

It sounded a bit like she was trying to coax a child.

The Empress was about to say she still had no appetite, but the irresistible aroma made her swallow again. The words of rejection lingered on her tongue before being swallowed back down.

Maybe she should just try a bite?

The Empress picked up a spoon and scooped out a dumpling. She blew on it gently and slowly placed it into her mouth. The dumpling skin, soaked in the flavorful broth, was soft and tender, with a spiciness unlike black pepper. As she swallowed, a fire seemed to ignite in her belly.

The Empress opened her mouth slightly, letting out hissing breaths to cool down, her cheeks flushing while sweat began to bead on her forehead and nose.

Apparently, trying spicy food for the first time was quite the experience.

Wan Anran quickly instructed the stunned palace maids, “Go get a glass of water or some milk—make sure it’s cold!”

The palace maids had never seen the Empress in such a state.

Upon hearing Wan Changzai’s command, they hurried off to fetch cold water, milk, and towels, then carefully dabbed the Empress’s sweat.

Chief Palace Maid Yinghe eyed the red broth suspiciously.

In front of everyone, she didn’t believe Wan Changzai harbored ill intent, but she did think the dish might not be suitable for Her Majesty. Yinghe reached out, intending to remove the pastel bowl—but to her surprise, the Empress batted her hand away!

“M-My Lady?”

“I still want… some more.” The Empress’s eyes were fixed on the bowl as she protectively pulled it closer to herself.

Apparently, that spicy flavor was quite addictive.

Scooping up another dumpling, the Empress narrowed her eyes in delight as she savored it. Even after finishing the entire bowl, she wasn’t satisfied.
“Another bowl! Oh—who made this?”

“It was Chef Zhao.”

“Him again? Nanny Zhou, see that he’s rewarded.”

Naturally, if Chef Zhao was to be rewarded, Wan Changzai must not be left out either.

As the Empress pondered for a while, she suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, did you bring the calligraphy you’ve been practicing?”

Wan Anran: …………

She paused a moment, then replied dryly, “Uh… I… didn’t bring it.”

The Empress smiled sweetly and rose to her feet, motioning for Wan Changzai to follow her. The two of them walked one behind the other through a connecting corridor, around a large zitan wood screen, and into the inner study. Along the corner walls stood several nanmu wood bookshelves, filled to the brim with books. In addition to that, there were also a writing desk, a painting table, and a guqin—all perfectly arranged.

The Empress didn’t stop until she reached the writing desk.

She gestured for Wan Changzai to sit.
“Come, write something for me to see.”

Did they really have to do this again?

Wan Anran’s face stiffened. If this was considered a reward, she didn’t want it in the slightest! But the Empress’s gentle face and those star-like eyes were looking at her with such focused attention… Hmm, imagining the beauty before her lowering her eyes in disappointment and becoming despondent, Wan Anran took a deep breath and resolutely stepped forward.

Her movements were still graceful, and the characters she wrote were still unbearable to look at. Wan Anran’s face flushed with embarrassment as she stared at her own feet, not daring to meet the Empress’s gaze, afraid of seeing disappointment in her eyes.

Unexpectedly, after scrutinizing it for a while, the Empress did not sigh. Instead, a faint smile appeared on her face. “For a beginner, your writing is quite good.”

Quite good!?

Wan Anran suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open in disbelief. Then, her face crumpled in frustration and she said dejectedly, “Please don’t try to comfort me, Your Majesty. I know my handwriting is ugly.”

“It’s much better than I expected.”

As if guided by some unseen force, the Empress reached out and gently ruffled Wan Changzai’s hair.

Unlike the concubines in the palace who loved to decorate themselves with elaborate hair ornaments, Wan Changzai’s head bore not a single dangling ornament or hairpin. Her long, jet-black hair was simply coiled into a bun at the back of her head, with nothing more than a single flat hairpiece. Because of this, it felt soft and plush to the touch.

It was the first time Wan Anran had ever heard a compliment, and joy faintly crept into her eyes and brows. She began bouncing on the spot in excitement—if she had ears and a tail, they’d surely be spinning in circles by now. Holding her head high with pride, she declared, “Exactly! I also think I did a pretty good job.”

The Empress was both amused and exasperated.

She finally understood why Consort Xuan couldn’t help but sigh every time she mentioned Wan Changzai. The Empress reached out and lightly tapped Wan Anran on the head before pulling several booklets from the bookshelf. “These are the copybooks I used in the past. Take them and practice tracing the characters. Start with large or medium-sized ones first. Once your hand is more accustomed to the motion, then you can move on to smaller ones.”

Wan Anran didn’t understand much about calligraphy, but it was obvious that the Empress of the Niohuru clan was an expert. If she said so, it must be right! Wan Anran hugged the stack of books and earnestly responded with a “yes.” But just as she was about to leave the inner study, the Empress stopped her.

The Niohuru Empress pointed to a seat. “Sit down.”

Wan Anran stiffly sat down, her mouth twitching slightly. “You want me… to write here?”

The Empress smiled and nodded. “The wind and snow outside are heavy. Stay here and copy for a while. Later, I’ll have someone escort you all back.”

Wan Anran reluctantly agreed.

She calmed her mind and focused her full attention on the book in front of her, carefully writing each stroke with seriousness.

Seeing how focused she was, the Empress smiled and quietly left.

By the time Wan Anran’s wrist began to ache, there were already four or five sheets of large characters laid out beside her. She held them up, quite satisfied with the results. Just then, a palace maid lifted the curtain and entered, smiling as she placed tea and pastries on the table. “My Lady, please enjoy.”

The pastries were freshly steamed ye’er ba.

The soft, chewy glutinous rice wrappers were filled with various fillings, and there was even a hint of citrus fragrance—was that orange zest? The fillings could be savory or sweet. The first one Wan Anran tried was filled with fresh bamboo shoots and minced meat—savory and delicious. The next one was filled with black sesame, tasting somewhat like a sweet dumpling.

No matter the flavor, they were all delicious!

Wan Anran happily polished off an entire plate of ye’er ba and tea. By then, it was time to return to Xianfu Palace.

Granny Zhou smiled as she escorted the group out of the palace.

This time, Wan Anran didn’t have to squeeze into the same sedan as Consort Xuan. There were four sedan chairs waiting outside the gates of Kunning Palace. Not only that, but Granny Zhou personally handed out the Empress’s rewards to each of them. Wan Anran received two full sets of jewelry—one set was gold-plated with enameled butterflies, and the other was adorned with engraved flowers and inlaid gemstones. From coronets and flat hairpieces to floral pins, hairpins, rings, and beaded bracelets, everything was included. The craftsmanship was absolutely exquisite.

Even someone like Wan Anran, who wasn’t fond of dressing up, couldn’t help but be delighted. She happily accepted the gifts and began thinking about how she should thank the Empress the next time they met. Unfortunately, Granny Zhou regretfully informed her that the Empress would be very busy over the next few days, and Consort Xuan’s group would not be summoned for the time being.

Wan Anran felt a tinge of disappointment.

But once she returned to Xianfu Palace, she perked up again. Looking out at the thick layer of snow that had already accumulated, she stretched lazily.

Tomorrow, she’d build a snowman!